These bugs are so cute you will want to make a whole swarm of them. They are fun and easy to make and don’t take a lot of time either. If your junior crafter has a real interest in bugs and butterflies, try replicating their favorite species using this basic design. Bumblebees and ladybugs just require a little extra decoration using a black permanent marker once the base color has dried.

You will need an egg carton, some chenille sticks (pipe cleaners), pompoms, googly eyes and the usual paint, scissors and glue.

Carefully cut the cups from the egg carton. Try to make them as deep as possible.

Color the cups any color you wish and leave to dry.

Using a needle, or other sharp object, make holes in the cup for the legs and wings to be pushed through. I used a needle followed by a thin nail so the cup didn’t tear and the hole was big enough for the chenille stick to go through.

Cut the chenille stick you wish to use for the legs into six equal lengths.

Bend the chenille sticks into the shape of insect legs with an extra bend to push through the leg holes in the egg carton cup.

Cut the chenille stick for the wings into two equal lengths.

Push the legs through the holes.

Curve into a wing shape and then twist around itself so you are left with just one end of the chenille stick to push through the hole. Once through the hole, bend the chenille stick to secure it in place.

Stick googly eyes to the pompoms. I used a glue gun because I find PVA takes too long to dry. Once dry, glue the eye pompoms to the egg carton cup.

Although this blog is to share lots of paper craft ideas for other folk to try with their children, sometimes my children make me so proud with their creations in different areas that I want to share it anyway. So my apologies for this brief digression from paper crafts, they will be back real soon!

Our children have started to go to a different school from their usual one, just for one day a week. At this school they get to explore and develop concepts more deeply. On their first day they were exploring identity – their creative responses are below.

Unique and Alone
I am unique
I cannot be cloned
I’m alone in the universe, alone.

But alone has its upsides
It’s useful and cool
If someone tries to copy me they end up looking like a fool

No one is identical to me
No one has my hair, my hands, or my face
No one has my determination to win a race
No one can react the same way I would
No matter how hard I try I’m never fully understood

Only I like this music,
And that activity
Only I have my responsibility

I try never to copy
Other people’s actions
Because I know I’ll never do it to exact exaction

No one can copy me
No one, never
And that’s how it will stay forever and ever

I am unique
I cannot be cloned
I’m alone in the universe, alone.

The poem is by an 11 year old and the self portrait is by a 9 year old.